Below are two daily calorie counter charts. The first chart estimates the calories burned daily for men. The second chart estimates the calories burned daily for women. In each calorie counter column, there is a lower number based on individuals with passive lifestyles and a higher number based on individuals with a moderate degree of physical activity working and exercising.

I use this as a guide to provide my daily calorie intake levels for me to lose weight, so far its working. It's very simple. Find your chart listing and lifestyle then try and stay below the calorie count for you, if you can, you too will lose weight.

Chart of Daily calories burned for Men

Height Body Type

Feet

Inches

Small

Medium

Large

   

passive - active

passive - active

passive - active

5 1 1427-1784 1542-1928 1652-2065
5 2 1471-1839 1580-1975 1695-2119
5 3 1516-1894 1619-2024 1741-2176
5 4 1561-1951 1660-2075 1787-2234
5 5 1606-2008 1704-2129 1834-2293
5 6 1653-2066 1749-2186 1883-2354
5 7 1700-2125 1796-2245 1933-2417
5 8 1748-2185 1845-2306 1985-2481
5 9 1796-2245 1895-2369 2037-2547
5 10 1845-2306 1948-2435 2091-2614
5 11 1895-2368 2003-2503 2146-2683
6 0 1945-2431 2059-2574 2203-2753
6 1 1996-2495 2118-2647 2260-2825
6 2 2047-2559 2178-2723 2319-2899
6 3 2099-2624 2240-2800 2379-2974
6 4 2152-2690 2304-2881 2441-3051


Chart of Daily calories burned for Women

Height Body Type

Feet

Inches

Small

Medium

Large

   

passive - active

passive - active

passive - active

4 8 1171-1464 1244-1555 1365-1707
4 9 1202-1502 1281-1601 1401-1752
4 10 1234-1542 1319-1649 1439-1798
4 11 1269-1586 1358-1698 1478-1847
5 0 1305-1631 1399-1749 1518-1898
5 1 1344-1680 1441-1801 1560-1950
5 2 1384-1730 1484-1855 1604-2005
5 3 1427-1784 1528-1910 1649-2061
5 4 1472-1840 1574-1967 1695-2119
5 5 1518-1898 1620-2025 1744-2180
5 6 1567-1959 1668-2085 1793-2242
5 7 1618-2023 1718-2147 1845-2306
5 8 1671-2089 1768-2210 1897-2372
5 9 1726-2157 1820-2275 1952-2440
5 10 1783-2228 1873-2341 2008-2510
5 11 1842-2302 1927-2409 2065-2582
6 0 1903-2378 1982-2478 2124-2655

Ok... So What is a Calorie Exactly?

A calorie is the amount or measurement of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree on the Celsius scale.

A calorie is also the unit of measurement of energy produced by food when it is oxidized, or used, in the body. Calories are like fuel for our bodies. We need them for our bodies to run. But if we pump more fuel into our bodies than we need for the amount of activity we do, the excess fuel just sits there. Your body will store this excess, unused fuel. It may store it as muscle, if you perform enough physical, muscle-building exercises such as weightlifting, or it may store it as fat.

You need to maintain a balance between the amount of calories you take in (food) and the amount of calories you use (exercise). You "burn" your body's fuel - calories - when you perform physical activities, and you also burn calories just by sitting still, breathing and living each day.

If you perform enough physical activity, you may increase the amount of calories (or energy units) you burn each day and raise the amount of calories (or energy units) you need each day. So a person who is physically active can eat more calories each day without gaining weight, because this person uses the fuel he or she pumps in, instead of storing it as fat.

Each person is different when it comes to the amount of calories he or she needs each day. The amount of calories a person needs for fuel varies according to age, height, gender, amount of physical activity and other factors.

excerpted from the Arthritis Foundation book www.jointsinmotion.org